Ricardo Campground, near Ridgecrest, California, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in the beauty of the desert landscape. With its stunning rock formations and wide-open views, it’s a place where you can truly connect with nature.

This campground offers a mix of tent and RV sites, all set against a backdrop of breathtaking cliffs. Visitors have noted the peaceful atmosphere, with many enjoying the quiet and gorgeous vistas. One camper mentioned, “The desert was alive in April!” which highlights the vibrant scenery you can expect during the spring months.

Amenities are basic but sufficient, featuring pit toilets and a sanitary dump station for RV users. While there’s no drinking water or electric hookups, the campground allows for campfires, making it perfect for cozy evenings under the stars. As one reviewer put it, “Camping heaven!”—a sentiment echoed by many who appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the area.

For those eager to explore, there are hiking trails nearby that lead to stunning viewpoints, and the nature trail starts right from the campground. Plus, the visitor center offers Wi-Fi, which can be a nice touch for those needing to check in. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Ricardo Campground is a solid choice for a desert getaway.

Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Cantil. Cantil is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Discover great camping spots near Cantil, reviewed by campers like you.

Cantil

The Best Camping Near Cantil, California

Decided to go camp here for a day because it’s omly a 3 hr drive from my home, but it was too windy. Sand/dirt and wind are a terrible combo for camping. Got in the tent, in our food, in our eyes. We went on a Wednesday which was nice because there were so many open spots. You can see the highway from the park which is kind of a bummer, but the canyons are pretty cool to walk around the rim up top. It’s also pet friendly and the dogs loved all the open space however it could get a litttle dangerous if you let them off leash. This campsite particularly was our favorite because it’s the very last one and nobody drives down there unless they’re camping next door. Most private.

Don’t go on a windy day!!

Beautiful place. Dry camp. Pit toilets. Hot in summer. Can be very windy 

On the Eastside

Our visit went well. The rock formations are picturesque. There are several campsites. the land is pretty bare so bring your own shade if you plan on camping over night.

Redrum Jk There's just a bunch of Red Rock

A great little spot to gaze at the rocks! 

Beautiful rock formations 

I only gave it four stars because in the summer it’s HOT! The Rock formations are out of this world, my daughter asked if we were on the moon, we all had a good laugh. Water was accessible in serveral locations throughout the park along with restrooms. The park did have its own visitor center with a small museum inside. There were also several hiking trails located throughout the park. Dogs permitted on leash. The Park also had a picnic day use area that was very nice. It had shade covers, fire pits and bbq’s that were all newly updated. Overall a very cool campsite. Snakes and scorpions do inhabit the Mojave desert so I would use extreme caution in the spring to fall months while hiking day or night. I also didn’t have cell service towards the back of the Park. We can’t wait to go back this fall when the temps are cooler! 

Desert camping on the moon..

Camped one night here before heading up to Mammoth. Popular spot for nearby off-roading.

Great views of rock formations, and large group-friendly campsites. Can hike along the floodplain.

Be sure to bring a warm sleeping bag for fall nights. I used a cheap sleeping bag from target and I have never been so cold in my life.

Solid Campground

Cool place but not much to do. Toilet are compost toilets so the restrooms are smelly 

Nice place 

Such an amazing spot! It was crowded on a holiday/lunar eclipse weekend.  The red rock canyons surrounding the campground are reminiscent of Arizona or Utah desert. Great for hiking, photography, star gazing, climbing and off roading. Dog friendly. I'm not a huge fan of being close to fellow campers but some spots are tucked deep enough against the rocks it feels more private. There is a visitor center with Wi-Fi, had limited service from my spot. Safe, clean and really beautiful!

Ricardo campground

Great park we bring our atv’s endless trails to ride and hike.we go there about 2 to 3 times a year,and will keep going best time is the spring with mild temp and desert flowers blooming.

Great dry camping

This was such a nice surprise to finally get to stop by. I’ve just never seen anything like this place. The campground is so well kept but the views are just spectacular! The campground is complete with a seasonal visitors center (with firewood), a general picnic area, restrooms, designated dumpster areas and developed campsites with fire pits. This is for the rugged campers at heart, as this can be a tough and hot place to camp in Summer months. This is an OHV haven but the rates are so high, folks stopping in tend to have more respect for their neighbors and class, as a result. Lots of trails here and from what we were told... fossils! So much history and worth the stop, if the desert sits well with you. Rates are $25 a night with some discounts for seniors but there’s also options to just stop in as well and utilize the picnic area. Again, just stunning.... this is a must see for those that are in wonder of nature!

What a beauty...

It's super dusty, not too much shade until the sun goes behind the hills but we have camped here in our RV twice because it's so unusual. As the sun comes up the light changes on the rocks and makes for stunning pics. Lots of birds feeding at dusk, very quiet unless you have noisy neighbors. Camp sites are nicely spread out but you must drive very slowly as there is so much dust. Great hike up the ridge and a small nature trail that's easy walked.

Majestic rock formations

Most people drive right though this state park, but spend a night here and you'll feel like you are days away from urban life, even though its just a short 2 hours drive from LA. Lots of nice campsites that nest right up against towering rock cliffs. Gets busy during the weekend. Come early as sites are first come first served. Nice trails behind the campground to meander to the top of the cliffs. Nearby many dirtbike/ ATV trails.

Gem in the Canyons

This is a beautiful campground. We spent time in early July, so the daytime was very hot and shade is very necessary, but it was gorgeous. That time of year is off season, so it was very quiet, and we felt very peaceful. The bathrooms were clean and there are water spigots throughout the grounds. The loop is quite large and there are plenty of sites to choose from. Rangers drove through every so often, and are helpful if you have any questions. This is a dark sky site so you will see some absolutely stunning stars at night. Very worth it! 

Love this place

This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever stayed. I stayed here last November for my birthday and it was amazing. Looking at the cliffs I was thinking of Petra in Jordan. In the day it was quite warm and got pretty chilly at night, perfect for hoodies and campfires. There are restrooms though no showers. The site in the southwest(?) corner gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire campground and is probably the largest. First come, first serve. The morning view is amazing. You will not regret staying here.

Simply Beautiful

Nearly all these campsites butt up against the Badlands-esque rock formations with mini slot canyons to explore right at your campsite. My son absolutely loved this place. I loved it. We had a great time!

It costs $25 per night and has zero amenities but the landscape makes up for it. Joshua trees and amazing rock formations, Jack rabbits and desert squirrels... it’s just great. 

1 bar AT&amp;T if you’re lucky. 
No water, no electricity, but there’s a dump station near the visitor center. 
No electric car charging. 
Lots of tents and small rigs, nothing big. 
Campground uses narrow one-way dirt road. 
There are about 50 campsites with a picnic table, fire ring, rocky tent pad and fairly level gravel parking spot.  At least 2 spots are ADA with concrete parking spots and nearby restroom. 

Now during COVID time it’s self registration, not sure about other times. We stayed one night and never saw a ranger. The campground was about half full and didn’t  fill up while we were there. 

Fantastic Beauty

My husband and I camped here for a few nights during Thanksgiving with our 2 dogs.  Such a beautiful campground! We arrived on Wednesday afternoon, and it was about half full, but looked mostly full by the time we left on Saturday.  It is first come first served.

  

It was definitely cold at night, which we were prepared for, though not prepared for a very windy day that happened while there.  Lots of blowing sand, even got in our tent.  We luckily got a site away from the road, so less blowing sand from people driving by.

  

We were right next to the nature trail, which was great to have to get some exercise and nice views.  

  

Lots of off roading trails in this park, so would be paradise with anyone coming to do that!

Cool rock formations!

Showed up on March 4th, Thursday. Was easy to find a great spot to camp. The Milky Way was out at night. The trails are stunning. 

Pros: showers, vault toilets, quiet, secluded, fire pits .

Cons: expensive, the trails are kind of far away from the campsites. 

Amazing state park, clean, quiet campgrounds.

Just stayed at this location last weekend. Stunning sites in pocket canyon with soaring rock formations abutting camping area. Staffed midday only due to COVID. Primitive bathrooms and no showers or running water. Quiet and simple. 

Beautiful location; no amenities 

We came through RRC in early May, 2021.  Weather can be unpredictable but it was super hot and very windy.

FYI - Google maps tried to bring us to a non-spot a few miles southwest of the actual site.  

RRC is an interesting spot - fairly well spread out along a single road which was fairly busy and dusty.  Lots of clean toilets.  Single road through campsite so it We stayed in 36 which was right across from one and was the most private of the sites, perfect for our Sprinter.  

 Some decent hiking around the Red Rocks, and looks like a great place for 4-wheeling and dirt bike riding which a lot of folks were doing.  

Cool Visuals But Hot & Windy

We got a spot right up against the canyon wall. I definitely recommend that since it give you shade earlier than the other spots. We went in the middle of the week so it was nice and quiet. Also on a full moon so the crevasses were lit up through the night. Absolutely beautiful place to stop in. Pit toilets were available. We couldn’t find fire wood to purchase though. 

Canyon Walls for Days

We planned a one night stay in late May.  We arrived on Sunday about 3 pm which was great because the campground was practically empty.  This is the perfect place to experience desert camping.  It was quiet and serene.   The desert sunset was beautiful.  More than I expected.    The sunrise was perfect.   The rock formations were picturesque each one with its own story.  You could easily walk into some of the little caves &amp; crevasses and there were quite a few paths to climb up the rocks. We enjoyed seeing the coyotes and chipmunks.  It had vault toilets with no roofs which was kind of cool.  There was a water spigot and dumpster by the the bathrooms.   Each site has a fire ring and table. 

Beautiful Desert Camping 

I photographed the Milky Way and the comet and camped in the wind. Yes wind. Yes warm. Yes solitude rad rocks! Loud campers. First come first served. Great bathrooms. The bathroom by the visitors center is open air, poo under the stars.

Rad rocks. No shade 

We enjoyed the 3 days we stayed here in January.   it was cool at night but warmed up in the day.  The kids loved to explore and climb the rocks.  It is dog friendly and sites are spaced out pretty well so you have plenty of space around your camper.   Overall, worth a 1 or 2 day stop as your passing through the area.

Great desert campground

This was one of our pit stops coming from San Francisco through Utah and to Arizona. This is a great site with great bathrooms and water fill ups. Area is super clean and great for photos. Highly recommended!

Highly Recommended Pitstop

Saw this place on Google maps and decided to check it out. There are many sites to choose from and they’re nicely spaced! If you wanna be right against the rocks, I recommend sites 15~28. Bathrooms were super clean and I will definitely return here. 



First time visiting and definitely will return!

We did not stay at the campground. It was a quick stop to dump. The Dump Station Is very convenient on the left past the entrance (20 USD). Scenery is beautiful and we took the opportunity to hike the red rock!

Great stop, Hiking & Dump

We dry camped here for just 3 nights but of the 50 sites there were only about 10 occupied. The campsites back up next to vertical reck formations and face a wide desert valley. Hiking trails and scenic views abound.

Beautiful rock formations

Nice clean campground plenty of space for everyone we have all toilets and they do have a ranger station with a major museum if you sell firewood and cold drinks

Nice area close by

Enough space for our 29” RV, pavement was really ok for desert, water, toilets in the morning full of insects, but that’s desert. You also have Wi-Fi at the Visitors Center which we really loved. Our spot had view to both sites of the rocks. 

Desert Camping 

Really cool campsite with spectacular rock cliff views. Looked like something from another planet. The night we stayed in April was very windy, which made it a little hard to sleep, but the next day dawned bright and clear and calm, and we had a great little desert hike exploring the clifftops.

Remote and beautiful

What an epic place to camp against the cliffs!  Nice smooth unpaved road in and places to back in with a few setup for trailers to swing in. Pit toilets and water nearby. Ranger station has WiFi. No cellular. 

Legendary Boondocking

**General:** Smallish (approx. 50-site) campground that does not take reservations. No hookups, one walk-in tent site, and the others are either back-in or pull-through. Some are “double” sites that would be ideal for sharing. 

  

**Site Quality:** Varies. All sites (except four, three of which are designated handicap sites) are a mixture of sand/gravel. Not all are completely level, and some accommodate larger vehicles than others. 

  

**Bathhouse:** Pit toilets only. Some are open air and some are enclosed; the one closest to our site was clean. 

  

**Activities:** hiking, photography. Good night sky area. The nature trail is accessible directly from the campground and the Hagen Canyon trail is ¾ mile from the campground. Red Cliffs is another short trail across the highway; these are the most popular (and short) hikes in the park but there are others. The views are jaw-dropping and well worth exploring. 

  

Note that although there is a dump station, there is a $20 charge to use it. 

  

We arrived around 1 pm on a Sunday in late March and had our pick of sites, however, the campground filled in to about ¾ full by the end of the day.

Camping heaven!

We LOVE Red Rock (Ricardo)!! Other than it being an official campground its 'close' to dry camping. Definitely prefer its view and background over Jawbone (nearby...but Jawbone is still also great). If you are camping to chill, Red Rock...if you are there to shoot and ride, Jawbone. The best part is the BEAUTIFUL cliffs boarding the sites. Definitely follow the nature trail up onto the butte/mesa/cliff. (that's also the only place for cell signal :-P

Beautiful "in the middle of no where," but close to town...

I only spent 1 night there but it was lovely and has the basic amenities. Gorgeous vistas and the weather was decent. 

Gorgeous and quiet!

Beautiful area with nice shady rock overhangs to stay cool during the day.  No AT&amp;T signal.  No tesla signal.  There was poor WiFi at the visitor center but at least you could send an email or message.
The desert was alive in April!  I got #8 which had a nice view.  Not too crowded at 1 pm on a Saturday where I got to choose from a dozen open sites.  So much better than the Alabama Hills area which was completely packed.  


Gorgeous desert

The views from this campground are absolute stellar. The sites and pit toilets are clean and plenty of spaces were available. It was all first come, first served and self-pay when we arrived. Drive the loop and find your spot, then return the payment in the envelope provided to the pay station. I’m sure it’s a busy place on the weekends. It’s in an OHV area, so off road vehicle noise is to be expected, but it was minimal. The road in is smooth, sites are easy to access (with a few pull-through sites) and there are a few paved ADA specific sites as well.  The sites up by the cliffs are offer the best views but many may be difficult to get level in if you have a motorhome or travel trailer. 

Gorgeous and Clean

Nice views backing up to scenic rock cliffs. Clean pit toilets. Most sights have a little slope... used a few leveling blocks. Quiet... First come... first served... Compacted dirt gravel road in good condition
 $25 standard... $23 seniors.

Nice Views... Quiet... Slight Slopes

If you are coming from the Bay Area, and traveling anywhere in the southwest or eastern Sierras, this is a great spot to stop for a night or two. The campsites are fairly spread apart, clean, mostly flat. The natural beauty of camping against the rock cliffs, watching the swallows fly in and out all day can't be beat. There is a large meadow with Joshua trees and, in the right season, wildflowers. 

  

Some of the pit-toilet houses are pretty beat up, have wasp nests. But it seems they are rebuilding them one by one. And the newer ones are as good as an outhouse gets: clean, sturdy, bug-free. There is potable water. There is dump station, but they charge for it, and it is a pain to get it unlocked. Don't count on it.

  

We have stopped here ~4 times in the spring, came in in daylight, and have always found a spot.

Photos of Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

Real photos from real campers